Distributed geospatial information processing: sharing distributed geospatial resources to support Digital Earth

Abstract

This paper introduces a new concept, distributed geospatial information processing (DGIP), which refers to the process of geospatial information residing on computers geographically dispersed and connected through computer networks, and the contribution of DGIP to Digital Earth (DE). The DGIP plays a critical role in integrating the widely distributed geospatial resources to support the DE envisioned to utilise a wide variety of information. This paper addresses this role from three different aspects: 1) sharing Earth data, information, and services through geospatial interoperability supported by standardisation of contents and interfaces; 2) sharing computing and software resources through a GeoCyberinfrastructure supported by DGIP middleware; and 3) sharing knowledge within and across domains through ontology and semantic searches. Observing the long-term process for the research and development of an operational DE, we discuss and expect some practical contributions of the DGIP to the DE.     

基于互联网的地理信息系统

讨论了基于互联网的地理信息系统的技术构成与解决方案 ,它将成为GIS发展的大势所趋     

全国警用空间信息服务互联互通的关键技术

针对大型空间信息服务平台构建过程中的数据互联互通和信息集成问题,从集成框架体系结构、技术路线和关键技术3个方面进行研究,提出了分布式地理空间信息集成框架的5层体系结构模型和原子空间信息服务概念;通过研究分布式空间查询路由算法和虚拟四叉树模型等关键技术,探索实现分布式环境下的空间信息的互联互通。     

基于CORBA的开放式GIS构建

现代信息技术的变革使网络技术与GIS的结合日益紧密 ,从而促进了开放GIS技术的研究。开放式GIS研究的目的是提供一套具有开放界面规范的通用组件 ,开发者根据这些规范开发出交互式组件 ,从而实现不同种类地理数据和地理处理方法间的透明访问。文中主要讨论了基于CORBA的开放式GIS的网络系统构建技术 ,使用户能在分布式的多服务器且存在异构的网络环境中共享地理空间数据。     

基于开放地图API的网络专题制图方法研究

专题地图作为地理空间信息的重要载体之一,网络专题地图服务是地理空间信息共享的重要途径。传统的WebGIS制图方法受局限,服务器负载高,网络传输数据量大,客户端资源闲置。为此本文研究了一种通过扩展开放地图API的网络专题制图方法,服务器负责数据处理,客户端进行地图设计与绘制,并设计实现了此方案。     

Big Data and cloud computing: innovation opportunities and challenges

ABSTRACT

Big Data has emerged in the past few years as a new paradigm providing abundant data and opportunities to improve and/or enable research and decision-support applications with unprecedented value for digital earth applications including business, sciences and engineering. At the same time, Big Data presents challenges for digital earth to store, transport, process, mine and serve the data. Cloud computing provides fundamental support to address the challenges with shared computing resources including computing, storage, networking and analytical software; the application of these resources has fostered impressive Big Data advancements. This paper surveys the two frontiers – Big Data and cloud computing – and reviews the advantages and consequences of utilizing cloud computing to tackling Big Data in the digital earth and relevant science domains. From the aspects of a general introduction, sources, challenges, technology status and research opportunities, the following observations are offered: (i) cloud computing and Big Data enable science discoveries and application developments; (ii) cloud computing provides major solutions for Big Data; (iii) Big Data, spatiotemporal thinking and various application domains drive the advancement of cloud computing and relevant technologies with new requirements; (iv) intrinsic spatiotemporal principles of Big Data and geospatial sciences provide the source for finding technical and theoretical solutions to optimize cloud computing and processing Big Data; (v) open availability of Big Data and processing capability pose social challenges of geospatial significance and (vi) a weave of innovations is transforming Big Data into geospatial research, engineering and business values. This review introduces future innovations and a research agenda for cloud computing supporting the transformation of the volume, velocity, variety and veracity into values of Big Data for local to global digital earth science and applications.     

Geospatial Service Web: towards integrated cyberinfrastructure for GIScience

A geospatial cyberinfrastructure is needed to support advanced GIScience research and education activities. However, the heterogeneous and distributed nature of geospatial resources creates enormous obstacles for building a unified and interoperable geospatial cyberinfrastructure. In this paper, we propose the Geospatial Service Web (GSW) to underpin the development of a future geospatial cyberinfrastructure. The GSW excels over the traditional spatial data infrastructure by providing a highly intelligent geospatial middleware to integrate various geospatial resources through the Internet based on interoperable Web service technologies. The development of the GSW focuses on the establishment of a platform where data, information, and knowledge can be shared and exchanged in an interoperable manner. Theoretically, we describe the conceptual framework and research challenges for GSW, and then introduce our recent research toward building a GSW. A research agenda for building a GSW is also presented in the paper.     

Free software: A review,in the context of disaster management

This article examines the nature of freely available geospatial software and information systems in the context of disaster management. The use of geospatial data is crucial to effective disaster management, from preparedness to response and recovery. However, to make efficient use of available data and information – before, during and after a disaster – reliable software is required. The software applications examined in this paper range from Geographical Information Systems, to the processing of remotely sensed images, crowd-source mapping, web applications and content management systems. Trends and challenges are considered, and guidelines are given, to foster and encourage the provision of information by Freeware and Open Source Software. Free geoinformatics can help to optimize the limited financial, technological and manpower resources that many organisations face, providing a sustainable input to analytical activities.     

Adopting cloud computing to optimize spatial web portals for better performance to support Digital Earth and other global geospatial initiatives

A spatial web portal (SWP) provides a web-based gateway to discover, access, manage, and integrate worldwide geospatial resources through the Internet and has the access characteristics of regional to global interest and spiking. Although various technologies have been adopted to improve SWP performance, enabling high-speed resource access for global users to better support Digital Earth remains challenging because of the computing and communication intensities in the SWP operation and the dynamic distribution of end users. This paper proposes a cloud-enabled framework for high-speed SWP access by leveraging elastic resource pooling, dynamic workload balancing, and global deployment. Experimental results demonstrate that the new SWP framework outperforms the traditional computing infrastructure and better supports users of a global system such as Digital Earth. Reported methodologies and framework can be adopted to support operational geospatial systems, such as monitoring national geographic state and spanning across regional and global geographic extent.     

Crowdsourcing geospatial data

In this paper we review recent developments of crowdsourcing geospatial data. While traditional mapping is nearly exclusively coordinated and often also carried out by large organisations, crowdsourcing geospatial data refers to generating a map using informal social networks and web 2.0 technology. Key differences are the fact that users lacking formal training in map making create the geospatial data themselves rather than relying on professional services; that potentially very large user groups collaborate voluntarily and often without financial compensation with the result that at a very low monetary cost open datasets become available and that mapping and change detection occur in real time. This situation is similar to that found in the Open Source software environment.We shortly explain the basic technology needed for crowdsourcing geospatial data, discuss the underlying concepts including quality issues and give some examples for this novel way of generating geospatial data. We also point at applications where alternatives do not exist such as life traffic information systems. Finally we explore the future of crowdsourcing geospatial data and give some concluding remarks.     

基于WebGIS的Web服务器日志管理系统设计与实现

WebGIS优势是通过互联网对地理空间数据进行发布和应用,以实现空间数据的共享和相互操作。将WebGIS和富客户端技术引入Web服务器日志管理领域,从总体设计、数据库设计、实现框架等几个方面设计了Web服务器日志管理系统开发框架,并开发了某工业园区信息共享平台日志管理系统。该系统可以高效便捷地实现网络访问数据空间可视化、访问流量在线监控、访问数据统计与分析等功能,为Web服务器运行维护提供科学的决策依据。     

地理信息公共服务平台的用户分类及服务分类

地理信息技术的发展经历了集中式、模块化、组件化的过程,目前正向地理信息的Web服务方向发展。传统的集中式地理信息系统中,功能的分类决定了用户的分类;而在地理信息服务的架构中,用户的分类导致服务的分类及其与用户分类的映射。本文从地理信息服务的架构出发,分析并提出了面向服务的地理信息公共服务的用户群分类与对应的服务分类,为地理信息公共服务平台的构建和地理信息服务资源的有效组织和整合提供理论依据。     

Automatic search of geospatial features for disaster and emergency management

Although the fast development of OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) WFS (Web Feature Service) technologies has undoubtedly improved the sharing and synchronization of feature-level geospatial information across diverse resources, literature shows that there are still apparent limitations in the current implementation of OGC WFSs. Currently, the implementation of OGC WFSs only emphasizes syntactic data interoperability via standard interfaces and cannot resolve semantic heterogeneity problems in geospatial data sharing. To help emergency responders and disaster managers find new ways of efficiently searching for needed geospatial information at the feature level, this paper aims to propose a framework for automatic search of geospatial features using Geospatial Semantic Web technologies and natural language interfaces. We focus on two major tasks: (1) intelligent geospatial feature retrieval using Geospatial Semantic Web technologies; (2) a natural language interface to a geospatial knowledge base and web feature services over the Semantic Web. Based on the proposed framework we implemented a prototype. Results show that it is practical to directly discover desirable geospatial features from multiple semantically heterogeneous sources using Geospatial Semantic Web technologies and natural language interfaces.     

基于网格的空间信息原子服务互操作与集成框架

提出了空间信息原子服务的概念，阐述了其互操作模型与互操作层次结构，进而提出了空间信息原子服务的集成框架，包括服务分类框架、服务链接模式以及由空间信息原子服务、分子服务、流程服务和方案服务组成的服务集成模型。空间信息原子服务概念的提出，对于空间信息服务(GIService)的服务组织与管理、服务集成以及更好地实现软件复用和空间信息互操作等都具有重要的意义。     

基于XML和CORBA的网络虚拟GIS设计

虚拟GIS是随着计算机图形技术和人机接口技术的发展，在传统多维GIS系统基础上发展起来的新型GIS系统。虚拟GIS在扩展GIS应用领域的同时，也给GIS设计带来了新的问题。根据当前计算机技术的新发展，特别是在网络信息表达技术和网络平台技术的最新发展，来设计面向Web的网络虚拟GIS。结合XML技术来解决网络虚拟GIS中多种信息在网络空间中的表达和传输，结合CORBA技术来设计网络虚拟GIS的网络结构。通过与这些新技术的结合，为开发有着丰富功能，完全开放的网络虚拟GIS建立了新的途径。     

异构地理信息处理环境互操作的Internet GIS方法

提出了异构地理信息处理环境互操作的Ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ ＧＩＳ方法和基于互操作性的Ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ ＧＩＳ构造模型,即分布式超图模型,阐述了其具体实现过程,并以自主开发的Ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ ＧＩＳＧｅｏＳｕｒｆ为例验证了此方法。     

Fundamental aspects of access control for geospatial data

Abstract

In recent years, geographical information systems have been employed in a wide variety of application domains, and as a result many research efforts are being devoted to those upcoming problems. Geospatial data security, especially access control, has attracted increased research interests within the academic community. The tendency towards sharing and interoperability of geospatial data and applications makes it common to acquire and integrate geospatial data from multiple organisations to accomplish a complex task. Meanwhile, many organisations have the requirement for securing access to possessed sensitive or proprietary geospatial data. In this heterogeneous and distributed environment, consistent access control functionality is crucial to promote controlled accessibility. As an extension of general access control mechanisms in the IT domain, the mechanism for geospatial data access control has its own requirements and characteristics of granularity and geospatial logic. In this paper, we address several fundamental aspects concerning the design and implementation of an access control system for geospatial data, including the classification, requirements, authorisation models, storage structures and management approaches for authorisation rules, matching and decision-making algorithms between authorisation rules and access requests, and its policy enforcement mechanisms. This paper also presents a system framework for realising access control functionality for geospatial data, and explain access control procedures in detail.     

Web-based 4D visualization of marine geo-data using WebGL

For marine logistics and maintenance of extensive and expensive marine engineering projects in the coastal zone, it is essential that institutions provide the public with relevant information in an easily understandable yet comprehensive manner over the web. A perennial challenge, however, has been the development of spatio-temporal (four-dimensional (4D)) geo-visualization algorithms to enable the integration of time-varying geo-information in map-based visualizations on the Internet. In this paper, we address the challenge of visualizing marine spatial data in web-based applications through a 4D visualization concept, focusing on usability criteria, performance parameters, the required implementation effort, and delivering a breath of spatial information that supports decision-making on multiple levels. We used Web Graphic Library (WebGL) to validate our concept through a prototypical implementation. In our technology evaluation, WebGL proved highly suitable for the development of interactive, responsive, efficient, and mobile web-based Geographic Information applications, including 2D, 3D, and 4D (spatiotemporal) content. During our research, we identified a number of open research questions, including mapping graphic variables to thematic expressivity, representation of the time dimension in 4D systems, generic temporal generalization, and integration of (pseudo-)photorealistic illustrations in web-based geo-visualization systems.     

Spatial cloud computing: how can the geospatial sciences use and help shape cloud computing?

Abstract

The geospatial sciences face grand information technology (IT) challenges in the twenty-first century: data intensity, computing intensity, concurrent access intensity and spatiotemporal intensity. These challenges require the readiness of a computing infrastructure that can: (1) better support discovery, access and utilization of data and data processing so as to relieve scientists and engineers of IT tasks and focus on scientific discoveries; (2) provide real-time IT resources to enable real-time applications, such as emergency response; (3) deal with access spikes; and (4) provide more reliable and scalable service for massive numbers of concurrent users to advance public knowledge. The emergence of cloud computing provides a potential solution with an elastic, on-demand computing platform to integrate – observation systems, parameter extracting algorithms, phenomena simulations, analytical visualization and decision support, and to provide social impact and user feedback – the essential elements of the geospatial sciences. We discuss the utilization of cloud computing to support the intensities of geospatial sciences by reporting from our investigations on how cloud computing could enable the geospatial sciences and how spatiotemporal principles, the kernel of the geospatial sciences, could be utilized to ensure the benefits of cloud computing. Four research examples are presented to analyze how to: (1) search, access and utilize geospatial data; (2) configure computing infrastructure to enable the computability of intensive simulation models; (3) disseminate and utilize research results for massive numbers of concurrent users; and (4) adopt spatiotemporal principles to support spatiotemporal intensive applications. The paper concludes with a discussion of opportunities and challenges for spatial cloud computing (SCC).     

智慧地球时代测绘地理信息学的新使命

本文首先指出智慧地球是数字地球、物联网和云计算等有机的融合,随后分析了智慧地球的主要特性,并重点阐述了智慧地球时代测绘地理信息学的新使命。作者认为我们已经从绘制地形图为主的小测绘发展成为当今以地理空间信息服务为主的大测绘,现在必须抓住机遇,不失时机地拓展智慧地球时代测绘地理信息学的新使命,将传统测绘提升为能够实时、智能地采集和处理海量空间数据、提供空间信息和知识服务的智慧测绘新阶段。